Terms of Engagement

Last updated: 30 March 2026

These terms of engagement apply when you purchase legal services through geoffreycaesar.co.uk. Please read them carefully before placing an order. These terms, together with the relevant service description on geoffreycaesar.co.uk and any written engagement confirmation I provide, form the entire agreement between us for the services.

About Me and My Regulatory Status

Geoffrey Caesar, Solicitor of England and Wales

Individual SRA ID: 483394

Freelance SRA ID: 666497

The Mill House, Mill Lane, Monks Risborough, HP27 9LG, United Kingdom

Email: geoffrey@geoffreycaesar.co.uk

I am authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as a freelance solicitor. You can verify my status on the SRA’s Solicitors Register at www.sra.org.uk/consumers/register/. The SRA Standards and Regulations, including the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, apply to the legal services I provide under this agreement. You can view the professional rules which apply to me on the SRA website at www.sra.org.uk.

As a freelance solicitor, I practise as a sole trader. I am not a recognised body or a licensed body. I do not employ other solicitors or legal professionals. All legal services under this agreement are provided by me personally.

I do not hold client money. My practice model does not involve operating a client account. If your matter is one that would ordinarily require a solicitor to hold money on your behalf (for example, a property transaction involving the receipt or transfer of funds), I will let you know before accepting your instructions. In such cases, I may be able to arrange for the work to be carried out through another regulated law firm, but this will require a separate discussion with you about how to proceed, including any additional costs.

I am not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. However, as a solicitor regulated by the SRA, I am able to provide certain limited financial services that are incidental to my legal work.

Owing to my professional duties as a solicitor, there are some limits on what I can do to help you achieve your goals. I cannot, for example, act in a way that would breach the law, act where there is a conflict of interest, mislead a court or other body, or act in a manner that would breach the SRA’s rules of professional conduct.

How the Contract Works

Your order is an offer, not a binding contract

When you select a service on geoffreycaesar.co.uk and complete payment, you are making an offer to engage me for that service. Your order is not a binding contract at that stage.

As a solicitor, I am required to carry out certain checks before I can act for you, including verifying your identity and checking for conflicts of interest (known as “know your client” obligations). A binding contract between us is formed only when I begin performing the services for you, following successful completion of those checks.

The service description forms part of the contract

The description of the service as set out on geoffreycaesar.co.uk at the time you place your order forms part of the contract between us. This includes the scope of the service, what is and is not included, and the fixed fee, subject to any amendments expressly agreed by me in writing (including by email).

What happens after you order

I aim to contact you by email within one working day of receiving your order to carry out identity verification and conflict-of-interest checks. While I make every effort to meet this timescale, it is not guaranteed, and no liability arises from any delay in making initial contact. Once those checks are complete, I will confirm the engagement in writing (including by email) and begin work.

If I cannot act for you

If, following my checks, I am unable to act for you (for example, because of a conflict of interest, a regulatory restriction, or the need to hold client money), I will let you know promptly. If no work has been started, I will issue a full refund of the fee you paid. Where I have already started work before the issue comes to light, the value of any refund will be at my discretion and will reflect the work already carried out.

Your Responsibilities

By engaging my services, you agree to:

  • comply with these terms;

  • provide me with all information relevant to your matter in a timely, clear and accurate manner (I will not generally verify the information you provide unless you expressly ask me to do so, and I am entitled to rely on the accuracy of the information you give me);

  • respond to my communications and requests for information or instructions within a reasonable time;

  • tell me promptly of any change in your contact details;

  • pay all fees and charges in accordance with these terms;

  • not ask me to do anything that would breach my legal, professional or regulatory duties; and

  • cooperate with me in order to verify your identity and any other matters relevant to my anti-money laundering and regulatory obligations.

Your Right to Change Your Mind

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, you have a legal right to cancel a distance contract within 14 days without giving a reason (the “cooling-off period”).

However, by placing an order through geoffreycaesar.co.uk, you are requesting that I begin performing the services before the cooling-off period expires, and you acknowledge that you will lose your right to cancel once I have started work. This constitutes your consent for the purposes of Regulation 36(1) of the Consumer Contracts Regulations.

If you wish to preserve your 14-day cooling-off period, you must make this clear to me at the outset, before I begin any work. In that case, I will not start work until the cooling-off period has expired, and you may cancel during that period for a full refund.

Once I have begun performing the services with your consent, you will not be entitled to cancel or receive a refund under the cooling-off period.

Fees and Payment

Fixed fees

The fee for each service is as stated on geoffreycaesar.co.uk at the time of your order. Payment is taken when you place your order.

I am not VAT registered, so no VAT is added to my fees.

Payment is received as my fee

The payment you make is received as my fixed fee for the agreed work. It is not held on account and is not client money.

Additional work

If, during the engagement, it becomes apparent that additional work is required beyond the scope of the service you purchased, I will discuss this with you and agree on any additional costs before they are incurred.

Third-party costs

Where specialist input is needed in connection with your matter (for example, counsel or specialist tax advice), I will coordinate this with your prior approval and with costs agreed in advance. You will be responsible for any such third-party fees.

Scope of Services

I provide legal services in the areas of commercial, corporate, employment, property, data protection, intellectual property, technology, artificial intelligence, contract disputes, and private client matters.

I will only provide advice on matters within the scope of the service you have purchased. Unless expressly stated otherwise in the service description or my written engagement confirmation, tax advice, advice on the law of jurisdictions outside England and Wales, and financial, accounting or commercial advice are outside the scope of my instructions. If your matter falls outside my areas of expertise, I will let you know and, where possible, recommend a suitable specialist.

How I Deliver Services

Once I am instructed, all work is conducted by telephone, email and, where appropriate, through Clio’s client portal and messaging platform. I may also use electronic signature tools such as DocuSign or Adobe Sign where documents require signing.

I am normally available between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. I may occasionally respond to communications outside these hours, but this is at my discretion.

You consent to me corresponding with you by email and through the client portal. I take reasonable steps to keep my systems secure, and I ask that you do the same. If you receive any communication that appears to be from me but looks suspicious, please contact me by telephone immediately. You will receive my telephone number upon commencement of the service.

Termination

Your right to terminate

You may terminate your instructions to me at any time by telling me in writing (including by email). If you terminate after I have begun work, you will not be entitled to a refund of the fixed fee. At my absolute discretion, I may agree to a partial refund reflecting the proportion of the service not yet delivered.

My right to terminate

I may terminate my engagement with you at any time if I have reasonable grounds to do so, by informing you in writing. I will give you reasonable notice where possible. Examples of circumstances in which I may terminate include:

  • you fail to respond to my communications or requests for information or instructions within a reasonable time, such that I am unable to progress your matter;

  • you fail to provide information, documents or cooperation that I reasonably need in order to carry out the services;

  • you act contrary to my advice in a way that makes it impracticable or inappropriate for me to continue acting;

  • you behave in a manner that is unreasonable, abusive or threatening towards me;

  • the relationship of trust and confidence between us has broken down;

  • a conflict of interest arises that prevents me from continuing to act;

  • to continue acting would be contrary to my legal, professional or regulatory duties;

  • you fail to pay any fees or charges that are due; or

  • you experience an insolvency event (if you are a business client).

Effect of termination

Where I terminate the engagement, I am under no obligation to refund the fixed fee, regardless of whether the services have been fully performed. At my absolute discretion, I may agree to a partial or full refund if I consider it fair and reasonable in the circumstances.

I retain all intellectual property rights in any advice I have given and any documents I have prepared, but I grant you a licence to use that work for the purposes of the matter in question.

My Liability to You

What I do not exclude

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits my liability for death or personal injury caused by my negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. The following provisions should be read subject to this.

Limit on my liability

Subject to the paragraph above, my total liability to you for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with the services I provide, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, shall not exceed the amount you paid for the relevant service.

Losses I am not responsible for

I am not liable for any indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, loss of business, loss of revenue, loss of anticipated savings, or loss of opportunity, however arising.

I will not be liable for any loss or damage arising because of a cause beyond my reasonable control, including but not limited to disruption to telecommunications or IT systems, or events of force majeure.

I will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from my compliance with legal or regulatory duties, including any delays or disclosures arising from anti-money laundering obligations.

I will not be liable for any services or products provided by a third party, even if instructed by me on your behalf or used by me in the provision of my services to you.

Any claim you wish to bring against me in connection with the services must be brought against me in my capacity as a sole trader and not against any individual personally in any other capacity.

Professional indemnity insurance

I hold professional indemnity insurance of £1,000,000 per claim, with defence costs covered in addition, underwritten at Lloyd’s of London. Details of my insurer and the policy's territorial coverage are available upon request.

Confidentiality

I will keep your affairs confidential except where disclosure is required or permitted by law, by my regulatory obligations (including obligations to report suspicious activity to the National Crime Agency), or where you have given your consent.

Complaints

If you have any concerns about the service you have received, please raise them with me in the first instance. Full details of my complaints procedure are set out on my Complaints page at geoffreycaesar.co.uk/complaints.

Your Personal Data

How I collect, use and protect your personal data is set out in my Privacy Policy at geoffreycaesar.co.uk/privacy-policy.

Changes to These Terms

I may update these terms from time to time. The version in force at the time you place your order will apply to that order. I will notify you in writing if I make changes that affect an ongoing engagement.

General

Governing law

These terms, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them (including non-contractual disputes or claims), are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

Jurisdiction

The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these terms.

Severability

If any provision of these terms is found by a court or other competent authority to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

No waiver

If I do not immediately enforce any right or provision under these terms, that does not mean I waive that right or provision. I may still enforce it later.

Third-party rights

These terms are between you and me. No other person has any rights to enforce any of their provisions. The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 does not apply.